Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takachi (left) meets with US President Donald Trump during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on March 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Alex Wong | getty images
In a clearly awkward moment in the Oval Office on Thursday, US President Donald Trump mentioned Pearl Harbor in his first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi since his landslide election victory.
When a Japanese reporter asked why the US did not inform allies such as Japan before launching the strike against Iran on February 28, the US President said it was to maintain the element of surprise.
“Who knows better about it? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? You believe in surprises more than I do.”
Trump was referring to surprise Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet In 1941, more than 2,400 personnel died and the US entered World War II.
Takaichi appeared to be taking deep breaths And she leaned back in her seat with an uneasy feeling.
“Who knows better about it? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor? You believe in surprises more than I do.”
Donald Trump
us President
Trump said the surprise attack helped the United States, saying it “destroyed 50% of what we anticipated” in Iran within the first two days.
During the meeting, Trump praised Japan for “stepping up” to assist in efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, “unlike NATO.”
Ahead of the meeting, Japan as well as Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands issued a joint statement Expressing its readiness to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the strait”.
Trump had called on Japan and other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but Takachi helped reportedly said on Monday There were no plans to send naval ships to protect boats in the Middle East.
His office also said in a post on x That “no specific request was made to Japan on behalf of the United States to send ships.”
prime minister of japan on tuesday Said that the government is considering what can be done within the ambit of the law of the country. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are governed by its pacifist constitution, which renounces war and the threat or use of force to settle international disputes.
Trump took aim at NATO allies earlier this week, saying the alliance not getting involved in the war was “making a very foolish mistake.”
In response, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reportedly said on Monday that “This is not our war, we did not start it,” a stance that was also adopted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Thursday that “We have declared that as long as the war continues, we will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation by military means in the Strait of Hormuz.” According to Reuters.